Friday night and everything is wonderful

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

When: Friday night
Where: Lorna's suite
Who: Alex and Lorna
What: Ice cream and other sweetness



Alex looked around the kitchen for some spoons, a tub of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream in his hand. He and Shiro had been playing Playstation for a while, then Shiro had wanted to play Final Fantasy. Since his thumbs were tired, Alex gladly obliged, especially since he liked to watch Shiro play that game. But first he'd needed some refreshment. After finally find two spoons, he popped the top off the ice cream and began eating it as he left the kitchen to walk back upstairs, the other spoon being a courtesy since he doubted Shiro would want to give up his game for ice cream.

It was too quiet in her room these days. Lorna was used to the constant noise of Alison just across the common room. The other woman was always playing something when she was in or singing or humming. Without her, the suite was just too empty. Lorna grabbed her jacket and resolved to get out of her room for a bit. She would just have to find some other place to ignore the world. She slipped out the door and walked swiftly down the hall, unsure of her destination for the moment.

Alex saw Lorna coming out of her room as he reached the top of the stairs and had to swallow a bite of ice cream before he walked up to her, licking the spoon in his mouth in a very innocent expression. "Hey hun."

Seeing him made her smile, as it always did. “Hiya.” She reached up and pulled the spoon away from his mouth to give him a kiss. “Whatcha up to?” His mouth was still sticky sweet from the ice cream. She licked it off reflexively, automatically noting that it had been years since she’d last had any.

He smiled softly as she kissed him and couldn't help but notice the licks. "Shiro's playing Final Fantasy and I was going to go watch him play, but I needed something to eat first." Holding up the extra spoon he'd brought for Shiro, he offered it to Lorna, holding the carton out to her as well. "Want some? I doubt Shiro will be able to tear himself away from his game and even though I still need to gain a few more pounds back, I can't eat the whole thing by myself..."

Lorna shook her head quickly then sighed. “I can’t have that, sweetie,” she said apologetically. 280 calories in a serving. Far too much for her to handle.

After taking another bite, Alex sucked on the spoon as he cocked his head to the side. "Why not?" He asked, the words garbled as he said them around the spoon.

That was very distracting. Lorna tugged the spoon away from him mouth again. “It’s fattening,” she replied. Since his hands were full, she slipped an arm around his waist instead of taking his hand. “Do you have to go back to Shiro? I think I have something I really should tell you.”

The moment she said the word "fattening" Alex immediately looked at her form, really looked, for the first time since he had returned. And he could have sworn that she was thinner then when he had left...unnaturally thinner. He shook his head slowly. "I doubt Shiro's even noticed I'm gone..." He allowed her to lead him with the arm around his waist, as he put the lid back on the ice cream. Alex had feeling now was not a good time for it.

For lack of any place better, Lorna returned to her suite. She led them over to the couch and motioned for him to sit. She remained standing herself, very nervous. How exactly do you go about telling your boyfriend that you’re mentally very ill?

Placing the spoons and ice cream on a nearby table, Alex curled his leg under him and watched Lorna, very curious about what she wanted to tell him, plus feeling guilty that whatever it was, he had been too wrapped up in himself to notice.

She fretted another moment then shrugged out of her heavy jacket. Without it, it was unmistakably obvious that she wasn’t just thin; she was dangerously skinny. It was much warmer in her room than in the rest of the mansion—she would probably be hearing about heating bills from Cain sooner or later—so she didn’t shiver as was usual these days. “I have an eating disorder,” she said it calmly though her hands betrayed her agitation, “I’ve had it for years.”

Alex couldn't help but blink at Lorna's obvious condition and frank statement. He'd thought he'd been skinny when they brought him back from Her...Now he really felt guilty for not noticing. "An eating disorder?" Alex took a deep breath before continuing. "Like, you don't eat or," he can't resist a shudder, "or throw it up?"

“Both. I try...tried to avoid going over 450 calories a day. That was my limit. More than that meant I had to get rid of it.” She dropped to her knees and rested her hands on the arm of the couch next to him. “Don’t look like that,” she begged, “Alison had that look, too. There was no way for you to know.”

Alex couldn't help but shake his head sadly. "I...I don't know what to say..." He looks slightly away from her embarrassed. "But I should have Lorna...I mean, it explains so much. Like when you blew up at me when we went bowling and so many other times. I should have known something was wrong...I'm sure Alison felt the same way." He looked back, almost shyly.

She reached out and gripped his hands tightly, “My own parents didn’t know. Still don’t. I’m very good at hiding it, Alex. If it hadn’t been for...” she hesitated then edited what she had been about to say, “If things hadn’t been so rough recently, there still wouldn’t be anyone who knew.”

He couldn't stop his reaction of looking away, thinking he knew perfectly well what she meant. But not wanting to make this any worse for her, he took her hands and used them to pull her into his lap. Alex wrapped his arms around her, leaning his chin on her shoulder. "Still, now that we know...what can I do to help you?"

Grateful that he hadn’t pressed her on her revision—anorexia she could tell him about, explaining Manuel was totally beyond her—she curled into him, wrapping her arms around his waist, “Just...be patient, really. You can’t force me to eat. According to Samson, food is a control thing for me. I have to be the one who decides when I should eat.” He was too thin, too. She hugged him tighter.

Alex nodded slowly, just holding her tightly. "I'll do whatever you ask honey. I'll help you get through this..." Her skin felt cold, probably from her being so thin, so he back up a bit to remove his sweatshirt, hoping the warmth from his mutation would help.

She helped his pull his sweatshirt over his head then ruffled his hair affectionately. “Thank you for being understanding.” She leaned into him greedily. He was like her own personal heater.

He smiled softly, nuzzling her neck gently. "How can I not be when you're supporting me so much at the moment...I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't accepted me back. It's the least I can do..." Alex leaned back a bit, cuddling Lorna closer. "I love you..."

“I love you, too.” She tilted her head back for a kiss, “And having you back is the best thing in my life. No joke.”

He gladly gave her a kiss, as he nuzzled his nose against hers. "I'm glad I can do something right then..." He smiled gently, to show that he was semi kidding.

“You do lots right.” Lorna assured him, in no way joking. She smiled at him then tilted her head back at the coffee table behind her. “Your ice cream is melting, sweetie.”

Alex looked over her shoulder and grinned. "You’re right it is...sure you don't want any? I'm not trying to push...just asking." He reached around her and grabbed the carton and spoon, yet not moving from his spot.

She shook her head and snuggled into him. “Thanks, love but that little carton is my calories for three days and I’d much rather get those from food with nutritional value. You go ahead though. Watching other people eat is fun and when it’s you it’s downright sexy.” She grinned at him.

He grinned as he spooned a large bite into his mouth and again, sucked on the spoon. "Like this?" Alex cocked his head to the side, making a show of licking every bit off the spoon.

She just had to kiss him. Really, it was a temptation beyond willpower. "Exactly like that. Sweet christ, you're really hot, you know that?"

"As long as you think that way...that's all that matters to me..." He gave her a sticky kiss before taking another bite.

This was way better than eating the ice cream herself. She stole another kiss. "Always will. Just don't leave me again, hey?"

With the spoon still in his mouth, Alex nodded as he nuzzled her nose with his own. Once the spoon was clean again, he took it out for another bite and another kiss. "You know...I could get used to eating ice cream this way..."